Crawling out from under my rock

Happy July everyone! I know the past three months have been sparse on posts to say the least but I really do have good reasons for not being on the computer. Life is wonderfully busy and our family is enjoying our limited time together without technology in the way. So far this summer has been jammed packed with meetings, appointments, deadlines, work, school, fun, and moving. We officially closed on our house Friday June 4th and began painting and moving in that weekend. Al and I couldn't have made a better choice for our home. We love everything about it and can't imagine being anywhere else. Carson and Elias are bouncing between their rooms, the basement, and the yard at whirlwind speed. It is great to see them spread their wings and truly enjoy their own space for the first time in their lives.

Carson is spending the summer as a peer model in an autistic private school. He goes every weekday except Tuesdays from 9-4 and have transformed into a responsible,calm, level headed child. We have seen a dramatic change in his personality since leaving his old school and we are hopeful for a successful school year in our new district. It seems like every week he grows taller and gets smarter. He is already in size 3 shoes for goodness sakes! He has rediscovered The Boxcar Children chapter books and we frequently find him in his room reading at his desk or on his bed. Unfortunately that is about the only time his bed gets used because since our move, he refuses to sleep in it and instead chooses to sleep on the floor under one of his windows. We are at a loss on how to remedy this sleeping situation but for now he is happy on the floor and getting sleep so we aren't pushing it. Carson is extremely caring and we have finally (knock on wood) found a schedule and medication regimen that allows him to love his life and be successful. It is amazing to see what a difference the past year has brought.

Elias is a ball of energy in constant motion with continuous talking. He is spreading his wings and testing limits as expected for a five year old. We took a giant leap of faith in May and removed his feeding tube to see how his growth would be without supplemental calories. He is proud of his MIC-Key-less stomach and shows off his new scar to all of his friends. So far eating and growth have been on the low end and he has lost some weight. We are choosing to monitor growth and utilize a positive feeding program all summer and reevaluate in the fall. He still aspirates but has managed to stay clear of pneumonia for most of the year. Elias made it through the winter without a single inpatient stay for the first time in his life. His blue snake AFOs are getting a little small but we won't be getting new braces for 6 months or so. Elias will start kindergarten in the fall and tested with amazing results this spring in all areas except attention span and functional feeding skills. He is adding, subtracting, spelling, and reading simple books. We've come a long way in five years and the future looks promising!

Al is soaring with his new career and couldn't be happier. He's learning the joys of home ownership. I bought him a grill for father's day and he is becoming one heck of a grill master. We have enjoyed having friends and family over for cookouts at the new house.

I'm running around like a chicken with my head cut off. School is fantastic and I know it was the right time to continue my education and get my NNP. Clinical hours started full time this summer and I am learning the NNP role at a delivery hospital. My preceptors are excellent and have both been NNPs for over 20 years. I'm learning my skills and how to juggle being the one giving the orders as opposed to the staff RN. Work has been difficult this summer with a few unexpected tragedies and changes but I'm excited to enter my new role on our unit next summer. Al surprised me with a new porch swing for our 8th anniversary and we spend our free nights swinging and listening to the sounds of our new neighborhood. I couldn't ask to be more blessed.

New pictures and posts to come next week. I am going to try to post at least once a week since this is not only a blog but documentation of our boys growing up.